Fluid lockout device



y 1945- c. B. SEYMOUR I FLUID LOCKOUT DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1941 3110M CLAYTON B. SEYMOUR Patented May 8, 1945 1,375,498 rum) LOCKOUT DEVICE i (Clayton B. "Seymour; Chicago, 111., assignor. jtoi mutation of Illinois Hoof "Products Company,

chicagoyllh, a cor-' jg-nfl iication. January 14,1941; Serial o. 374.4015

The'gpresent invention relates #130184 safety device for fluid pressure systems randxmore particularly to a safety devicezforclosing a pressure line iniresponse'todailure.

"Yet more particularly, the present invention is concerned witha device providing free passage of hydraulic or other diuidinthe-lineduring normalcperation but oper'ati-verin :the eventof. sleekage or failureto close off the conduit, :thus ,preventing a :failure wof the entire system. Devices of thexpresent class with which-Ih'ave been :hith':

erto familiar have been seriously limited in utility by"virtu'e of structuralsinability to operate as intended and desired 'undercall conditions. Thus, .m'anyof the devices with ewhichelam familiar exert only a" 'temporarysealing action where.- by they function only so long as the-hydraulic system with which they are associated is under I pressure. Accordingly, therefore, release of pres sure, asis necessary,-mayv and frequently does,

'result'in loss of hydraulic fluid and failure of the I entire system. Other constructions capable of I exerting "a more "positive sealing action are in general incapable of operating except under. .ia-

vorable conditions when-ina,predeterminedmosi tion. Allof these 'constructionsmay be likely to fail by closure of the hydraulic line with which they are associated under certain .normal operating conditionsand before actual leakage occurs.

It .is an important'objej'ct or. thehpresent iIlVBIl-r tion to provide. an improved pressure lockout device obviating the, foregoing difiiculties and adapted to positively protect the fluid pressure system by permanently sealing. a redetermined conduit under conditions of, failure whilelassuringmaintenance of a freev and open conduit at all other times. 1

Yet more particularly, the invention hasfor its further objects to provide 'a construction as above operative in any and all positions and under all service conditions';' to provide" an improved lockout which is simplified and compact in construction and capable of being-inserted in afluid conduit; to provide 'alockout which in' 'addition to the foregoing objects is capable of providing an integral seal which "remains permanent under all subsequentconditions "of pressure, and to provide a device as above operative under the influence of gaseous as well as liquid fluid systerns.

, I Yetaotherand further 'objects'willbe apparent from aconsideration of the following specification when taken with athe attached drawing, wherein: ;!Figure 1 (is a transverse sectional viewtaken za -11's) tion;

Figure 2 is a viewthe same as Figure 1 but showing the deviceinconduit:sealingposition? a Figure 3 is an elevational view 'ofthe present lockout applied to :a' pressure" responsive gauge;

Figure 4 Referring now 'to' the "figures of the drawing," wherein one illustrative 'ernbodiment of the .in-

vention is disclosed more infdetail, there is shown hydraulic tlockout device, I'flyint'erposed inza hydraulic fluid conduitcomprising an inlet; con v duit .12 andan outlet'conduit M. Figure 3 illus' trates the device as being interposed in a 'con duit extending from a suitable pressure creating sourcegnot shown, to a pressure responsive gaugev I16, although it willbe apparent that the present inventionis not so limite'd in' utility but :may be applied to anypressur'eaconduit whichrmust be sealed rupon operative failure there'of;

The lockout unit 1 0 comprises in general :an L shaped body portion having an inlet :armv and an outlet arm extending at -right angles to each other, {This "L-shape'd body portion lends itself favorably to thearrangement of outlet and inlet as the separate pressureipassages fromitheinlet deliver on oppositeside's of the valve, andsuch advantageous disposition ofithe pressureinletsis 1 conveniently brought about. The inlet :arm --I- 8 is of cylindrical tubular form threa'ded to receive the-extremity ofthe inletlcfonduit l2'an'd it should be noted that the threaded bore terminates 'in' wardly in a pair of spaced passages 20 and 22 leading to :a central'bore ZA-inthe angularly :dis-

posed -arm'ifi. The bore =24 -is relatively large to accommodate therein a resilient sealingmember orsphere .28, itvbeing understood that the sphere is relatively loosely :disposed in the cylindrical bore and adapted 'tofreely shift. longitudinally thereof. EA =helica1'coil spring 30 'yieldably urges the yielda'ble valve member"28 to the right-hand extremity of the large bore 24 andagainstxan annular'shoulder 32 'formedbyjuncture of "the large bore 24 withe'smaller axially 'aligned bore 34.; Attentionlis directed to the fact "that 'thel smaller here at the rearward side of :the resilient sphere 28.:communicates-with' the passage 20 from the -in-let,-whereas the relatively small passage 2-2 extends tothe forwardyside of the resilient valve member in the vicinity of theoutlet portionof the-device. Thecompressionspring :30 operatively seats within a bushing portion '36 of an centrally through a hydraulic lockout device con-i structed 1 in accordance .with the present invenv is a detailed sectional view] taken on the line 4--4 of Figure *1;

outlet fitting 38', the bushing extension being threadedly received within thearm 26 of the body portion as'clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2 and being sealed thereagainst by a packing washer 40; It should be noted that the bushing portion of thefitting provides a cylindrical recess 42 of substantial axial extent in axial alignment with the bore or chamber 24 terminating in an annular shoulder 44 upon Zwhich the left-hand I extremity of the spring is adapted to seat. The

- outlet conduit I4 is. threadedly received within;

the fitting asclearly shown;

It is particularly important to note that the central bushing recess 42 provides-a substantial space for accommodation of theentire spring 30' y when under compression. In this connection, it

should be .further noted thatthe extremity'of line, I2 is applied, integrally engaging the valve,"

member 28 within the adjacent port, whereby upon release ofpressure, the valve remains rigidly interengaged and operative tov permanently seal the outlet conduitl 4. I It is particularly important to notethat under the relatively high pressure conditions which may 'prevail within such system, the sphericalvalve '24 is apparentlycompressed somewhat in diameter, causing the ma-' terial thereof to flow sealinglywithin the 'port in a manner which would be impossible were an inserting pressure-merely applied against a rear facefof the valve. ,It will be obvious from the foregoing thatjrelease of the pressure results in; a continuancy' of expansion of the sphere within-the port," resulting in a positive.

I engagement therewith under a pressure correthe bushing 36 presents a shoulder 46 providing the diameter of the mainchamber 24 and with respect to the normal diameter of the resilient valve 2B. Accordingly, f therefore, under condi- 'tions adapted to urge the sphere 28 forcefully towardthe outlet, the helical spring yields to permit interlocking" engagement with the constricted aperture in the shoulder 46. In other words, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2 ,under' such conditionsthe'spring retracts to permit the valve to'enter the port inpermanent sealing interengagement. To enhance and facilitate a relatively constricted opening with respect to this interengagement, I have provided the interior surface of thebushing' with an. annula recess 48 in the vicinity-of the shoulder. I

' Attention is yet additionally directed to the fact that of the two inletpassages 20 and 22, the latter is relatively restricted in section.

Thus, the passage 20 to the rear of the resilient valve member possesses a. sectional dimension sponding t6 1 the maximum. pressure "exerted by the instant hydraulic system. Repeated application of pressures therefore'merely-results in a more permanent and positive interengagement of the valve and valveseat.

I It will =be understood from the foregoing that the valve member 28 maybe, composed o'fany suitable yieldableiresilient material such a rubber compositionor any of the so-called artificial rubbers or elastic materials such as Duprene, Thiolkol, and the like, .It-is further important to note that the 'fitting 38fbeing removable permits removal of the unit subsequent to operation thereof.- In other words, the fitting 3B,together with the permanently interlocked valve 28 and the spring 30, may be disengaged. from the body portion of the lockout unit for substitution of replacement parts, placing the device in its original operative condition shown in Figure. 1; a

substantially three times that of the adjacent passage 22. It has been'observed that with this arrangement, the operation of the device upon failure in the outlet conduitl2 becomes instantaneous'and positive, while normal operation of the system remains unimpe'dedat all times and under all conditionswhile'outlet portions .of the systemv are in operative condition; 'In' other positively protective against failure, is incapable of 'so operating as to impede the system when in normal operation. While certain preferred relative dimensions of the passages 20 and 22 have been selected for purpose of illustration, it is to be understoodithat this may. vary within wide limits, provided that the passage 20 to the rear side-of the valve is of substantially increased digmension.

outlet conduit l4 resulting in release of pressure Y appliedthroughthe inlet conduit l2 results in instantaneous movement of the valve member 28 against the spring and into the position shown inFigure 2 where it permanently seals into the outlet port at the shoulder 46 and additionally interlockingly engages with the annular recess .48 1

lit is important to note that, having reached this'position, the entire pressure exerted by the words-the constructiomwhile instantaneous and 'The present invention provides a'positively operating, reliable hydraulic lockout valve of simplified construction adapted to permanently seal any selected hydraulic conduitunder conditions of failure and under substantially all conditions 1 of service. Thus, the device will 'operatein any position and under widely varying conditions of \dbra'tion, inertia'and the like. a Y

It is very important to note that the vention is distinguished from many of those hitherto knownin that it is equally applicable to fluid pressure systems employing a ga'seousfluid and, while for purposes'of illustration I have se-,

- lected a hydraulic braking or control system utilizing incompressible fiuids, thesame construction might equallywell be employedin'an equivalent system wherein'air is employed to operate one or more brakes or the like. In other words, the utility of the device is notlimited by virtue of the fluid selected.

It is furthermoreimportant to note that' the present invention contemplatesv provision of a means for permanently sealing thefluid system by virtue of the coaction of a resilient elastic member with a cooperatingrelatively-hard rigid member. Accordingly, therefore, the present in vention in its broadest sense contemplates the provision of a ,constructionwherein the valve port may be formed of a resilient'elastic' materialsuch as ru bbenwhereas themovable cooperating valve membermay be relatively hard. It will be. ap-

parent in such a construction that the movable 7 member therefor should preferably be relatively large'with respect to the internal diameter of the port, while the latter should be of sufficient longitudinal extent to permit the elongated movable member to shift thereintolunder pressure,

present in and be grippingly engaged over a substantial portion of its length. i

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the specific structural arrangement disclosed herein but is capable of other modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of i the present invention.

I claim: l. A lockout device of the class described-comprising a casing provided with an outlet at one end and provided at the other end with an inlet having two pressuredelivery passages, said casing between the inlet and outlet having a cylindrical bore reduced in diameter at the inlet end to provide a valve seat and communicating with one of said pressure delivery passages, a substantially spherical resilient valve member movable in said bore, and of a diameter substantially greater than that of the valve seat, said cylindrical bore at its outlet end being slightly less in diameter than said resilient valve member but greater in diameter than the Valve seat, a coil spring positioned in said bore and normally urg-.

ing said valve member against its seat, said spring being of less diameter than the outlet end of the cylindrical bore, whereby upon predetermined re-, duction in outlet pressure said resilient valve memberwill be moved ofi its seat by the inlet pressure and compress the coilspring within the outlet end of the bore, said reduced outlet end of the bore being of suflicient diameter to distort the resilient valve member and lock it against closed position but permittingmovement of said valve to open position upon predetermined reduction of pressure at the outlet; a sbushing'projecting into the outlet end of said casing and having a restricted cylindrical passage of slightly less diameter than the ball valve, said bushing adjacentthe inner end of. said passage having an-annular recess cooperating with said pasv sage to distort and look by compression said resilient ball valve in outlet closing position.

CLAYTON B. SEYMOUR. 

